12 March 2006

Mum's anger at UVF statement on son's murder

THE mother of a UVF murder victim last night hit out angrily at the terror group's leaders after they appealed for anyone with information on her son's killing to contact cops.

Ann Robb, whose son Andrew (19), along with pal David McIlwaine (18), was butchered in February, 2000, slammed the command staff of the UVF's Mid-Ulster brigade for issuing a statement on the killings on Friday night.

The Portadown woman, who was only told about the statement when we contacted her yesterday morning, said the UVF's appeal was too little, too late.

The statement read: "Over six years later, the families are still struggling in their quest for justice. Consequently, the command staff has taken the decision to release this statement in the hope that it some way it will assist in this pursuit.

"We state categorically that the killing of these two boys was not sanctioned by the UVF. Furthermore, we are appalled at the killings and the ferociousness of the attacks.

"We fully support the families in their campaign for justice and no-one should impede them in respect of that. We urge anyone with information, no matter how trivial, which may help the PSNI to come forward."

But Mrs Robb said: "This statement is a load of rubbish. I am not going to change my mind about my son's killing just because the UVF have issued statement after six years.

"The police told me it was the UVF who murdered Andrew and David and that it was sanctioned by a prominent UVF man from the Trandragee area.

"I have been speaking to ex-UVF men and they told me the killings were sanctioned in Armagh and not from Belfast. I have learned and experienced too much since my son's killings to accept this statement."